After witnessing my first birth at the age of 16, a passion was lit within me. I had known this new young mother my whole life, but witnessing her strength and vulnerability during her labor and birth, and seeing her transformation into a mother left a lasting impression upon me at such a young age. I knew my calling was to care for expectant parents and their infants during this life-changing period in their lives. 

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I pursued my undergraduate degree in nursing, and the pull towards obstetric and neonatal nursing only grew stronger during those years. 

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I began my career as an RN in a high acuity Level 3 NICU. While I had hoped to work in maternity, I found a special place in my heart for NICU babies and families that was unexpected. Not only were my technical skills honed and depth of knowledge increased, I was able to come to a much deeper understanding of the normal family process of welcoming a child into a family. NICU families are going through this same normal family process, yet it has been completely disrupted and derailed. Educating parents, partnering with them, empowering them to still feel some ounce of normalcy and control over a situation that feels completely out of their hands, only deepened my calling to serve families during this time in their lives. 

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My desire to further my career and better serve childbearing families and infants led me to become a Postpartum nurse, pursue and receive my certification as a Maternal Newborn Nurse, my certification as a Certified Lactation Counselor, my certification as a Lamaze® Childbirth Educator, an instructor in Neonatal Resuscitation for health care providers, and become an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. My love for educating and partnering with parents has only grown over the years. I have worked in many settings from in-patient care as a nurse, perinatal educator, and lactation counselor, to outpatient OB/GYN clinic work, and now in private practice.

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During changes in my career and moves around the country, my husband and I also became parents. We have three beautiful children who have changed me and grown me in ways only motherhood can. Experiencing three very different births and breastfeeding experiences personally deepened my understanding and empathy for individuals on their own journey to parenthood. Our family has made our way back to our MI roots after many years out of state and currently reside in DeWitt, MI with our three children and pup.

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Every individual and family I have had the privilege of educating, caring for, and partnering with has made a lasting impact on me. I feel honored to have been called to a career that allows me to participate in this miraculous moment in life. I have worked with expectant and new parents in all walks and stages of life, I am an open and inclusive practice, and seek to meet the needs of individuals and families from all backgrounds and family dynamics including foster families and adoptive families, and mindfully tailoring my care to one's unique family structure, partner status, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, and ethnicity.

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It would be my privilege to be a part of your journey too.